Ben and David go inside the M&A press with Bloomberg’s technology M&A reporter and host of the Deal of the Week Podcast , Alex Sherman . If you’ve ever wondered how stories about big deals get broken or what “according to people familiar with the matter” really means, tune in for the behind-the-scenes scoop! Note: A technical glitch with our recording setup created occasional short silences between Alex’s comments and Ben & David’s. It shouldn’t impact listenability, but we apologize...
Sep 27, 2016•1 hr 25 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Ben & David examine Google’s 2005 purchase of Android for a rumored $50M, undeniably one of the best technology acquisitions of all time. But will it top the list of these tough graders? Tune in to find out. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Subscribe to ACQ2 Merch Store ! © Copyright 2015-2025 AC...
Sep 16, 2016•1 hr 21 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Ben & David break down Jet.com’s meteoric rise, culminating in Walmart’s blockbuster $3B+ acquisition of the company just two years after its founding. Will we look back on this deal as an ‘Instagram-like’ bargain or a ‘Pets.com'-sized blunder? And most importantly, can *anyone* compete with Amazon going forward? We speculate wildly. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with h...
Aug 29, 2016•1 hr 12 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Ben & David are joined by special guest Taylor Barada , VP and Head of Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships at Adobe, to discuss how large tech acquirers approach buying companies. This episode is full of great insights for startups & entrepreneurs who might find themselves navigating the M&A process, as well as anyone curious about the craft of dealmaking and the strategic approach of large acquirers. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly...
Aug 22, 2016•1 hr 11 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast Topics covered include: Community Showcase: the Nexcast podcasting platform from listener Brian Sanders, along with their podcast chronicling the team’s journey building the company Waze’s origin in cofounder & CTO Ehud Shabtai’s desire to hack his portable GPS navigation unit Waze CEO Noam Bardin’s retrospective blog post on the Waze journey Waze’s Palo Alto office and the bizarre Silicon Valley phenomenon of tech companies being located in retail storefronts Apple’s ill-fated launch of App...
Aug 03, 2016•1 hr 7 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast The meta show: Ben and David turn their gaze inward and examine the podcasting industry through E. W. Scripps’ recent acquisitions of the Midroll podcast advertising network and Stitcher podcast client. Featuring discussion of our own product process and metrics at Acquired. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join th...
Jul 12, 2016•1 hr 3 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David return to make their first foray into enterprise software, covering Salesforce’s $2.5B acquisition of ExactTarget in 2013 with the help of special guest and ExactTarget cofounder & CEO, Scott Dorsey . Technical note: due to an issue we didn’t catch during recording, audio quality is significantly lower than usual for this episode (especially David’s voice). We apologize but hope you’ll give it a chance anyway— Scott offers great wisdom & insights, and the ExactTarget succes...
Jul 05, 2016•1 hr 16 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David cover the 3-day-old acquisition of LinkedIn by Microsoft for $26.2 billion. They cover LinkedIn’s founding story by Reid Hoffman, break down their core businesses, analyze recent stock behavior, and speculate on the future of the company inside Microsoft. The big question - were they worth the price tag? Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode...
Jun 16, 2016•1 hr 8 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David are joined by Todd Bishop, technology reporter and co-founder of GeekWire , to discuss Facebook's 2011 acquisition of Push Pop Press. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Subscribe to ACQ2 Merch Store ! © Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC Highlights Include: The founding story of Push Pop Press ...
Jun 06, 2016•1 hr 4 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David tackle their first failed acquisition: Facebook's 2013 offer to buy Snapchat. They cover the fascinating story of Snapchat's creation and growth, their blossoming business model, how it would be different inside of Facebook, and what the future holds. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Su...
May 23, 2016•1 hr 3 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David return to technology acquisitions by examining a classic: eBay's 2002 purchase of PayPal. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Subscribe to ACQ2 Merch Store ! © Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC Items mentioned in the show: How the 'PayPal Mafia' redefined success in Silicon Valley - Tech Republ...
May 09, 2016•59 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David deviate entirely from the stated purpose of the show, tackling this non-technology acquisition that is so recent, we have no idea if it went well yet. But, the April 2016 acquisition of Virgin America by Alaska Airlines was so fascinating, we had to do it! Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Sla...
Apr 27, 2016•55 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David continue the cloud productivity saga with Google Docs. They examine the suite of acquisitions made by Google with a focus on Writely in 2006. They tackle: The nuts and bolts of the Upstartle (company behind Writely) acquisition, founded by Sam Schillace, Steve Newman and Claudia Carpenter. SaaS offerings in cloud productivity today. Was this a good idea for Google? Google's future bets. A new section: The Carve Out! Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit....
Mar 29, 2016•50 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David have special guest Kurt DelBene on to discuss Microsoft's acquisition of Acompli, Sunrise, and Wunderlist. Kurt is the EVP of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Microsoft, and joins to discuss Microsoft’s cloud-first, mobile-first strategy, and the importance of being cross-platform in the modern era. They cover: How the app of Outlook Mobile on iPhone and Android came to be. How to decide whether to build vs. buy, and how it plays into the strategy for Office. How to preserve a cu...
Feb 29, 2016•1 hr 3 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David test the widely-held belief that YouTube was one of the most successful tech acquisitions of all time. In today's world of next-generation video platforms, mobile video, streaming, and chord-cutting, was it actually a great purchase by Google? As discussed in the show, here is Sequoia's original YouTube investment memo - a rarely-shared gold mine for anyone interested in startup investing. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https:...
Feb 03, 2016•51 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Riding closely on the tails of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Ben and David cover Disney's 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm. In the episode, they mention Walt Disney's original flywheel diagram, seen below. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Subscribe to ACQ2 Merch Store ! © Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC...
Jan 19, 2016•41 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In the last episode of 2015, Ben and David discuss Apple's acquisition of Siri. Notable topics include: The founding of Siri by Dag Kittlau, Adam Cheyer, and Chris Brigham. Scott Forstall on the Apple side, and the end of his time at the company. The other Apple acquisitions around Siri, including Topsy, Novauris Technologies, OttoCat. Cue, Spotsetter, VocalIQ, and Perceptio. The team Apple built around Siri post-acquisition, including Alex Acero from Microsoft Research. Speculation on the futur...
Dec 14, 2015•45 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David are joined by Former Microsoft VP and Co-Founder of Xbox, Ed Fries, to discuss the Bungie acquisition and the development of Halo. Highlights include: Ed’s call with Steve Jobs after the acquisition, and sharing the stage with Steve and Bungie Co-Founder Alex Seropian at the Macworld Keynote. Bungie today, and the unlikely path to get there led by Harold Ryan. How to find something that all parties want to get a deal done, the creation Peter Tamte’s spin-out Mac gaming studio, and ...
Nov 30, 2015•1 hr 8 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David discuss Amazon's acquisition of Twitch in 2014. Unlike previous episodes, this recent acquisition still has a lot of open questions, and Amazon hasn't publicly reported growth of Twitch since the purchase. Ben and David talk about Justin Kan's original product with Justin.tv, and the transformation into the Twitch that Emmett Shear is running today. Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!...
Nov 16, 2015•54 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David discuss Facebook's acquisition of Instagram in 2012. Was it a success? If so, what are the criteria that made it work? What lessons can be learned for other acquisitions in the future? Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Subscribe to ACQ2 Merch Store ! © Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC...
Nov 01, 2015•43 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Ben and David discuss Disney's acquisition of Pixar in 2006. Was it a success? If so, what are the criteria that made it work? What lessons can be learned for other acquisitions in the future? Sponsors: Anrok: https://bit.ly/anrokacquired WorkOS: https://bit.ly/workos25 Statsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig24 More Acquired!: Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes Join the Slack Subscribe to ACQ2 Merch Store ! © Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC...
Oct 15, 2015•38 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
